Play god with cells! We'll explore the fast-emerging field of synthetic biology, with a focus on learning how to develop genetic circuits (like electrical circuits but with DNA) to control cellular behavior. By the end of the class you'll be able to design your own biological circuit and understand how to build it in real life - theoretically, anyway!

Play god with cells! Learn how to develop genetic circuits (electrical circuits but with DNA) to control cells.

In this class, we don’t just learn about and memorize biology. We perturb, manipulate, and engineer it. This class consists of two major parts: one that teaches students to appreciate the logic and reasoning of biology with problem solving practices (in genetics, virology and neuroscience) and one that introduces students to the principles and tools of synthetic biology and genetic engineering with a hands-on activity involving genetically altered bacteria. We will cover concepts including, but not limited to, recombinant DNA (transforming genomes to add foreign properties), DNA sequencing, and DNA synthesis. We guarantee awesomeness.